CCTV News: In the forests of Xiaolong Mountains in the southeast of Tianshui City, Gansu, a lonely peak rose from the ground. Because its shape resembles a farmer's wheat pile, it was named "Maijishan". More than 1,600 years ago, countless skilled craftsmen opened caves and statues on the cliffs of Maijishan. After more than 10 dynasties, they finally created a shining pearl on the ancient Silk Road - Maijishan Grottoes.

"A thousand cliffs, caves are like hives", on the cliff wall of Maiji Mountain, 221 caves are carved, 3,938 statues and more than 1,000 square meters of murals, which have a history of more than 1,600 years. The grotto art treasures from different eras are fully visible here. The Maijishan Grottoes are also called the "Oriental Sculpture Exhibition Hall".

Li Tianming, director of the Maijishan Grottoes Art Institute, introduced that the Maijishan Grottoes began to be opened in the Later Qin Dynasty of the Sixteen Kingdoms, and continued until the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Among the existing grotto temples in China, the sequence of statue creations preserved in the Maijishan Grottoes is the most complete, reflecting the continuity of Chinese civilization in the field of grotto art.

The uniqueness of Maijishan Grottoes is that the characters in the sculpture are closer to life and full of the warmth of the world. The little novice monk in Cave 133 narrowed his eyes and raised his mouth. His innocent "smile" touched the hearts of countless tourists. The statue in Cave 44 is called "Oriental Beauty" because of its kind and peaceful smile, which explains the ancients' understanding and expression of oriental beauty.

After the founding of New China, generations of experts, scholars and cultural relics protection workers have adhered to the wilderness and faced danger. Zhang Bin, a cultural relic restorationist born in the 1990s, has been spreading his youth in Maiji Mountain. Over the past ten years, he has worked underground embroidery day after day, and sometimes it takes several days to repair a skinned mural.

Zhang Bin, amulet of the Maijishan Grottoes, introduced that they must be careful during the repair process. Sometimes a gust of wind may blow it off, so it will be very slow. I like this job, and the older generation also works on the mountain. He hopes to adhere to the ideas of his predecessors, protect the cultural relics in Maijishan, and choose one thing for the rest of his life.

Now, more than 50 caves have been protected and reinforced, and more than 200 statues and more than 200 square meters of murals have been restored. With the help of digital collection, 3D printing technology and other means, Maijishan Grottoes have also "realized" and "going out" in various forms. Just last month, the special exhibition of "Miji Miracle on the Silk Road" was held at the Yangzhou Grand Canal Museum, with an overall restoration display of five groups of special caves, allowing viewers to appreciate every detail of the cave up close.

Sun Yuan, deputy director of the Digital Center of Maijishan Grottoes Art Institute, introduced that based on these digital collection results, they also copied the representative caves of Maijishan in equal proportions, allowing Maijishan classic statues and caves to "get out" Maijishan, so that more viewers can feel the beauty of Maijishan Grottoes.